THUNDER BAY – If international travel is a thing by the time the snow falls again, Sunwing says it plans to offer direct flights to the sunny south out of Thunder Bay for the 16th straight year.
The airline on Tuesday announced it plans to offer vacation packages to Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, starting in December.
Weekly flights to the tropical destinations will continue through April 2022.
“Supporting local regional airports and providing Canadians across the country with more convenient ways to travel has always been important to us here at Sunwing,” said Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations for the airline.
“Our seasonal flight service from Thunder Bay has been consistently popular over the years and we’re delighted to help local residents enjoy a frictionless vacation experience under our wing.”
Flights to Cancun, Mexico will go weekly on Mondays from Dec. 13 to April 18, while flights to Varadero, Cuba will go every Tuesday between Dec. 14 and April 19. The flights to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic are scheduled for Wednesdays, starting on Dec. 15 and running through April 20.
Ed Schmidtke, president CEO of the Thunder Bay International Airports Authority, where passenger traffic down 80 per cent after travel restrictions were put in place last year, said it’s great news.
“We are very excited that Sunwing will be returning to Thunder Bay this winter and appreciate their confidence in our market after a difficult year for the travel industry,” Schmidtke said in a release issued by the airline.
“We’re sure our residents are looking forward to leaving the snow behind and heading back to paradise and we’re hopeful for a successful winter season.”
Canadian airlines earlier this year voluntarily agreed to stop flying to most southern destinations in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 and discourage travel. Canada also instituted a number of restrictions on returning travelers, including mandatory three-day isolations at a government approved hotel at their own expense and an overall 14-day quarantine period.
